Mascara Ingredients

Eyes are said to be the windows to your soul, and are one of the first features that any person notices about you. That is why most women pay a little extra attention to the eyes while doing makeup. While eye shadows and eyeliners enhance the beauty of any women, mascara completes the look.

It opens up the eyes and accentuates your lashes. It can darken, lighten, color, thicken, lengthen, or define the eyelashes. With the growing number of beauty products available in the market, it can get a little confusing as to which one to choose. The best way is to know the mascara ingredients, and select one that suits you the best.

There are two versions about the history of this eye accessory. According to some, the first one was invented by Eugene Rimmel in the 19th century. In Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Turkish, Romanian, and Persian, the word Rimmel means mascara, and hence, the invention was named after him.

The other version states that, in 1913, T.L. Williams made the first mascara for his sister. The only ingredients, which were used in that were coal dust and petroleum jelly. While it was developed over the years, new ingredients were added.

For example, instead of petroleum jelly, wax thickeners were added for better effect. Almost for 40 years, it was shaped into a mass. It was only in 1957, that the Helena Rubinstein mascara was introduced in the market, which had a tube and wand applicator, and of course new and better ingredients. Thus, its application was made much easier.

The active ingredients in this product include things that are used for giving shape to the eyelashes, and thickening and darkening them. A mixture of special components are added to it, the main aim of which is to design and hold the shape and color of eyelashes. The basic ingredients include water, film formers, wax thicker, and preservatives.

This accessory is available in three forms - pressed cake, cream, or liquid. It was first created in the form of a cake or pressed cake. You apply it to your lashes with the help of a brush, preferably a wet one. The principal ingredients for this are soap and black pigments, measured in equal amounts.

The cream counterpart, as the name suggests, comes in the form of a lotion. Packed in a tube, you need to squeeze the exact amount you want, to a tiny brush. Use it the same way as the cake form. Apply it on your eyelashes until you get the desired look. Using this type often led to messy makeup. The invention of the liquid form corrected this problem.

The most common type used today is the applicator, which utilized this item in liquid form, contained in a modernized tube. A wand, which in reality is a round brush, is used to pick up just the right amount. This innovation led to the growing popularity of this makeup item.

These applicators can be divided into two types - waterproof and non-waterproof. The ingredients used in both are slightly different from each other.

Waterproof: Basically, this is made using volatile solvents. They mostly have a substance called isododecane. They also have waxes, which are extracted from animal oil, vegetable oils, and minerals. Apart from these pigments, filmifying polymers and thickeners are also used.

They are free from chemicals, as they are water based. They are highly resistant to sweat, tears, and rain. Once applied, they can be removed only by using a strong makeup remover.

Non-Waterproof: These are based on water, soft surfactants like triethanolamine stearate, animal-derived waxes, vegetable-based waxes, like rice bran wax, carnauba wax, and candeilla wax, mineral original waxes, pigments, thickening polymers, like gum arabic, and preservatives.

These are not resistant to tears or sweat, but are easily removed with some soap and water. These are light, and last only a short time.

So, go ahead and select a mascara that is best suited to your style and requirements. If you are allergic to any of the ingredients, or simply do not want the trouble of applying it everyday, then you can definitely try eyelash tinting.

Mascara is a great part of daily make up, so even if you have no time to apply eye makeup, this cosmetic alone can make you look beautiful. After all, who can resist those sexy long lashes!